


Truth Will Out

by GingerRedLion



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Family, Revelations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-11-18 09:29:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18118025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GingerRedLion/pseuds/GingerRedLion
Summary: "I love you, Mum and Dad. Are you ready?" "Ready." "Obliviate." When Hermione's Mum and Dad hear her sleep-talking the night before she goes horcrux-hunting with Harry and Ron, they want to know what's going on, so she tells them. But some things cannot be avoided, and soon, Monica and Wendell will be packing their bags for Australia. Partly canon- compliant.





	Truth Will Out

Hermione had gone late to bed that night. Usually, she went at a sensible time but today there was a lot of packing to do, and doing it without rousing her parents' suspicion was not an easy task. At least she could use magic at home now. A non-verbal Muffliato had prevented them from hearing the noise she was making, but she really didn't want to confund them, especially with what she was planning to do later. Finally she had done: books, some dried and canned food that she had bought from the local supermarket when doing grocery shopping for them the day before, clothes, paper and pens, sanitary products, etc. Her beaded handbag was sitting innocently atop her desk and everyone would be none the wiser, unless they looked carefully at her barer bookshelves or her now emptier wardrobe. She would make her parents think this was the guest room. The thought made her stifle a sob, but it had to be done. Better they forgot her and lived than they remembered her and died. And, much as she felt guilty for thinking in this way, the Death Eaters would seek them out, and she could not have Harry's mission undermined by them becoming hostages. If only they would agree to her obliviating them, but she very much doubted they would - she was their precious only child, and they would want to protect her. And after hiding everything that had happened at Hogwarts in fourth year onwards from them, she didn't know how they would take the shock of finding out suddenly. Shocks like that could be very traumatic to people, as she could easily guess but had also read in a few psychology books. Of course, they knew that Voldemort was back. It was just that they had no clue quite how mixed up in it all she was.

She fell asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow, but her dreams were not peaceful. If she had suspected that she could sleep-talk, she would have cast Silencio on herself before she fell asleep, but six years sharing a dorm with Parvati and Lavender and this had never happened before. Nevertheless, her quiet moans of "Not Harry, not Harry. Please. I'm so sorry. Mum, Dad, I'm so sorry." were enough to wake her parents and get both Grangers by her bed in a heartbeat.

"Hermione, dear, what's wrong?" her mum asked gently.

But Hermione was still asleep. The Grangers looked at each other nervously - should they wake her up, when it was so clear she needed the sleep? Her next words took their words away. "You can't," she said defiantly, "I don't care how much you torture me, I won't tell you. They're gone, I've taken they're memories. And I won't give them to you. Call me a "mudblood" all you like, Bellatrix. But you're not getting them. I've sent them away. They don't remember me. They don't remember who they are." Her voice broke on the next words. "My Mum and Dad. And they never will. You tell your master that. You might have me, but they and Harry and Ron are safe. I'm just collateral. And I'm glad to be, if it helps bring you lot down. They'll never believe I'm alive, they'll think you're lying to trap them. The others won't let them fall into your trap. So I have something to be glad of at least."

Hermione's Mum and Dad looked at each other in horror. They were clever people and could add two and two together. It was clear Hermione was involved with something she hadn't told them and it was also clear that they were somehow involved too. Hermione's Dad was going to wake her up, but she settled down and fell back asleep and Hermione's Mum told him to come back to bed. They could discuss this in the morning. Reluctantly, he agreed. But some of their dreams were now as disturbed as Hermione's earlier one.

Hermione woke up just as she heard her parents moving around downstairs. Quickly getting dressed and ready, and slipping her wand into her beaded handbag which she slung over her shoulder, she sadly made her way to the kitchen, where the Grangers were already sipping tea.

"Morning Mum, Dad. Sleep alright?" Hermione asked in an overly cheerful voice. If she didn't survive the war, and she knew there was a high enough chance she wouldn't, this was the last day she'd ever spend with them. She could at least make it happy.

"Hermione, sit down." her Dad said, in a worryingly solemn voice. "Do you want some tea?"

"Yes please. Is everything OK?"

"You had a nightmare last night," her Mum said gently, "You were saying things."

Hermione's eyes widened slightly and her body tensed, but she quickly hid the movement and tightened her grip on her handbag.

"What kind of things?" She asked cautiously.

"You were talking to someone, someone you called Bellatrix. You said she and her master wouldn't be able to find some people because you had hidden them, made them forget. Hermione, it sounded like those people were us."

"You said they could torture you, kill you, but me and your Mum, and Harry and Ron would be safe. Hermione, you never told us it was this bad." he Dad added sadly.

"I-I couldn't. Harry needed me, Ron needed me. I needed Hogwarts. I couldn't have you forbidding me returning to school. But please, you mustn't ask anymore about this. Please don't make it harder than it needs to be."

Hermione wiped away a few tears but continued resolutely.

"Trust me. Please. It's the only way."

"What were you planning to do to us?"

"Nothing that would hurt. Only to keep you safe."

"Hermione." her Mum said with a warning tone.

"Your memories of me," she replied resignedly. "I have to obliviate you, send you to Australia. You'll forget about me, about magic, they won't find you. You'd think you were different people."

The Grangers stood up sharply. "Hermione, how could you? You'd take away us? Without even telling us? Without even letting us know? Without letting us keep you safe?" Their feeling of being betrayed was clear. But Hermione was angry too. She stood up too.

"I have to! Don't you see, better other, safe, people than dead, or tortured, people. Neville's parents. Remember I told you about him? Kind, forgetful, got a pet toad. His parents are in St Mungo's, the magical hospital. Tortured to insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Bellatrix?"

"The same. Remember I told you about Harry's godfather? Sirius? Dead, killed a year ago. By Lestrange. Remember -"

"Hermione, please, stop." They had all sat down again. "What about Dumbledore? Can't he keep you safe?"

Suddenly, Hermione looked exhausted. Tears were falling from her eyes. She furiously brushed them away.

"Dead." She said quietly.

They looked shocked.

"Hermione you never told us." Her Dad began.

"Wasn't your burden," she said simply, "And anyway, I couldn't. Like you'd let me go back to Hogwarts after that."

"After what?" her Mum said.

"You're going back to Hogwarts?" her Dad said.

"Which first?" asked Hermione, with a touch of gallows humour.

"Dumbledore." her Dad replied.

"Snape killed him. He fell off the astronomy tower. Harry was there, petrified. Malfoy wouldn't have done it, Harry said." she finished with barely concealed fury.

"Snape? The potions master? And what do you mean, couldn't Harry have done anything?"

"Petrificus totalis, full body binding curse. Dumbledore cast it on Harry to protect him. And yes it was Snape. He was known for his cruel sarcasm, but I never thought he'd do that."

"Where is he now?" her Mum asked.

"On the run."

"So Hogwarts is safe?"

"I doubt it. Mum, Dad, you have to understand. I'm peaceful. But this is war. And I, and Harry and Ron, we're soldiers. Without us, Voldemort won't be defeated."

"What else have you not told us?" her Mum asked angrily.

"Where to start? Look, let's just get this over with. And I promise you, Harry has had it a lot worse than me and Ron. Fourth year, Voldemort returns and kills a student in front of Harry. Fifth year, Hogwarts is taken over by a ministry that won't take the threat seriously. Sixth year, Dumbledore dies. Do I have to give anymore?"

"Oh Hermione," her Mum said, coming over to hug her. "When did you grow up?"

"Before she was born." her Dad said and they laughed.

"Sometimes things happen," Hermione said, "That are bigger than any single person. This is one of them. I'm Hermione Granger, brightest witch of my age, proud muggleborn. And if I die because of this, at least I took a chance. Otherwise I am guilty, for all the other deaths that will happen if I cannot stop him. No, I am not going back to Hogwarts. And I'm doing that so I can make Hogwarts safe again. They used to call it the safest place in the wizarding world. If I go back, I don't know what will happen, I don't know if it'll be safe. But if Voldemort and his Death Eaters take it, Hogwarts is the worst place for Harry, Ron and I to be. Mum, Dad, sometimes we have to do something dangerous. Don't make it any harder for me, please."

"You have to take our memories?"

"I have no choice. If I survive -"

"Don't say that like you might not!" her Dad cried.

"I have to. If I survive, I'll restore them. If not, you'll live happy long lives, in a warm place. Like you've always wanted to." She was smiled and crying together now.

"What if we want to stay as us and protect you?" her Mum asked.

"You can't. I hate to say it, but without magic, you can't protect yourselves. I'd have to protect you. And I can't protect you as well as two wonderful, sometimes clueless teenage boys together. That's beyond even me. I don't know if I'll even be able to protect them. But I cannot have you die, cannot have you turned into hostages. I wouldn't be able to rescue you. If I did, and I would try, I'd die. And then who would help Harry kill Voldemort? How would I cope with that? Think, would you be able to? If it was me? If it was your parents? Mum, Dad, what would you do?"

Hermione was breathless now, panting slightly. The Grangers nodded slowly. They wanted to convince Hermione to go into hiding with them. They knew she would never agree. And some part of them was glad - that was a constant at least, their Hermione was still Hermione enough to do the right thing no matter the cost. They could not deny her their safety. And nor could they risk turning into hostages for her to save. Parenting wasn't supposed to be this way, they thought. But then, what about Hermione had ever been normal or usual? And they could not ask her to send them away without actually taking their memories away. They had picked up enough over the years to know that memories could be found easier if not hidden by memory charms. Them believing they weren't connected with the wizarding world would mean much less threat of being found by the Death Eaters if they ever did spread beyond Britain. Hermione's sleep-talking episode had proven that - who knew they wouldn't do the same.

Instead, they said only one word.

"When?"

"Tonight," Hermione replied, sad and relieved.

"So we have one day?"

"Yes."

"Let's enjoy it then. And I am so so sorry Hermione, that I cannot stop you, cannot prevent you from doing it. But I want you to know, I am very proud of you too." her Dad told her.

"Thank you," Hermione replied, tears in her eyes.

"We love you." her Mum said.

They talked and cooked and ate, savouring every last minute together. Finally, it was late afternoon and Hermione knew she had to go.

"Mum, Dad. I love you. You've been - no, are- the best parents I could ever have asked for."

They nodded and smiled and told her the same.

"We love you Hermione."

"I love you, Mum and Dad. Are you ready?"

"Ready."

"Obliviate."


End file.
